Hayward tristar reviews anyone???

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S

saltyseven

0
Jun 2, 2018
6
shingle springs
Brand new to your site. Like many of you, I perform all installation and maintenance myself. My Ecostar 3400 has been under a pile of junk for about a year now in the garage far away from my pool. Defective drive! I refused to replace the drive as I felt it would happen again. My old reliable single speed is currently keeping things clean. I understand the tristar upgrade has a more reliable controller along with seals and warranty. Would any of you care to comment on this pump? I'm looking for unbiased information, not propaganda from manufacturers.
Thanks..
 
salt,

What version are you trying to evaluate? there seems to be some info on the 1.85HP tristar, but none that I can find on the 2.7HP.

Next, where specifically did you read or see that the controller has been upgraded? And, what do you mean by upgraded?

finally, what state do you reside? It would also be nice to know what other type of equipment you have and if you have automation. Also, where you're storing the ecostar is a befitting name for where it too resides...when was the eco originally installed and when did you have problems w it?

See this: SP32900VSP / SP32950VSP Comparison

Here's a complete summary of the article:

to compare these new SP32900VSP and SP32950VSP TriStar variable speed pumps to see exactly what pool owners are getting out of this deal. The literature provided by Hayward for these pumps indicates the following upgrades:

1) An upgraded Viton seal. (Viton is a brand of synthetic rubber commonly used in O-rings)

2) An extended warranty coverage period (Versus the open-line version of the same product)

That's it - no mention of an revised or upgraded drive/controller
 
Arizonarob said:
I have the TriStar vs pump, and couldn’t be happier with it. I purchased mine online as no one around me could beat the price. I did have it installed by a pool company so I could get the 3 year warranty on it.

This is the exact pump here....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B014POPMTK?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
Click to expand...

Rob, did you verify and receive a certification from Hayward that you do indeed get the 3 yr warranty? I believe from the article I posted, the premium price gave a 4 yr warranty and the "better seals" but that was only thru a dealer channel...was the install price reasonable?

Also, as noted for OP, yours is a 1.85 HP and not sure if he was looking for 2.7 HP reviews. I was also hoping to get reviews w purchases over 2-3 yrs so we could determine how the controllers do and if they too have the premature failure issues as the ecostar does, even w replacement controllers they still fail
 
tstex,

I'm looking at the VS950. As I understand it, the tristar series is part of the Expert Line products from Hayward. These can only be purchased through dealers (brick and mortar stores).
Upgraded was probably the wrong characterization, I was informed by a Hayward Rep. that the drive controller is more reliable than the ecostar drive. It seemed counterintuitive to replace a drive controller that costs almost as much as a new pump on the ecostar that failed at around 3 years old. Yes, one could repair the drive controller at a minimal cost but repeat drive failure would more than likely occur and faith in the pump's reliability would be lost completely.
I live in northern california, inground 25k gal pool, solar heat via aquasolar controller, H-40 generator, Hayward DE-720 filter. I have removed all automation minus the manual clock timer for pump power. Got tired of rebuilding cleaning sweeps, can't go wrong with old school once a week or so manually vacuuming the pool. Also, this way I know what is going on with water chemistry etc...
The information you provided is exactly what I have found except for a more reliable controller (heart of the pump) as per Hayward. I don't care about the seal, and the warranty I am sure will only apply if installed by an authorized service tech.
Oh, I originally installed the 3400 ecostar in 2014. All of my pool equipment is housed in a building, never gets wet. Did not use or know of the importance of breaker surge protection but will install if I purchase new pump. I am on grid-tied solar with multiple protection devices in place and have never had a spike that has caused known damage.
Sorry for the pile of junk comment about the ecostar it is not junk, works great when working. Just tired of expensive equipment not having the reliability and longevity as proclaimed.

Thanks for anyone's and everyone's input!!!!
 
tstex said:
Rob, did you verify and receive a certification from Hayward that you do indeed get the 3 yr warranty? I believe from the article I posted, the premium price gave a 4 yr warranty and the "better seals" but that was only thru a dealer channel...was the install price reasonable?

Also, as noted for OP, yours is a 1.85 HP and not sure if he was looking for 2.7 HP reviews. I was also hoping to get reviews w purchases over 2-3 yrs so we could determine how the controllers do and if they too have the premature failure issues as the ecostar does, even w replacement controllers they still fail
Click to expand...

I did get verification from Hayward when I filled out the warranty information online. They sent back an email containing the 3 year warranty.

The cost for install was $250, but seeing as the pump was under $800, I still wound up saving a few hundred over buying local.

If if you look at the link I posted for Amazon, the pump is sold directly from Hayward. So the TriStar line is the same as the “dealers” just without the middleman.
I actually got into a bit of a tiff with one pool company over the fact that even they couldn’t buy that pump at their price, as it was $997 for them, plus of course the markup they toss on top for making a phone call. :rolleyes:
 
Salt,

I have even asked the Hayward rep on line here to provide any feedback on the tristar pump and received nothing. I do not think they have been around long enough [at least the 2.7 HP model] to have any track history. I'm not investing in anything Hayward unless users on here attest to its reliability like the Pentair intelliflo folks attest to their pumps. I would love to be an ecostar advocate bc it operated so well and only had a hiccup here and there...nothing is perfect, but being defective, there should have been a recall.

Since you mentioned removing all automation, you can look at any pump out there..check out all the brands and look at the ones that users on here like and the ones that users don't...the real truth lies in objective users real experiences over a 3 yr period...that's what you can take to the bank...good luck
 
Thanks for the info, I was led to believe the expert line equipment was not available online but Rob was able to purchase his through amazon directly from Hayward. How's that for protecting your dealers.:confused:.
Maybe its time to check out Pentair.

- - - Updated - - -

Rob,
was the tristar a replacement or new install? How long has it been in service and are you running the 900 or 950?
Thanks...
 
Salt,

From a previous post, I believe I learned Rob's is the 1.85HP, not the 2.7HP that you and I both need.

Well, I went to amazon to see if I could find any Tristar reviews...It seems, like rob's, that the 1.85 does quite well. But, the 2.7HP was hammered pretty hard. I thought maybe the reviews were referring to the ecostar bc the problems sound the same, but some of the buyers stated that their previous pumps were the ecostar ??? hmmm I'll let you read these and make up your own mind. But, I'm of the making that when something works, most people don't dial in and say "everything is great". It's usually just the opposite.

I also provided the link so you yourself can authenticate these reviews, but it is what it is...thoughts?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

https://www.amazon.com/Hayward-SP3206VSP-Variable-Speed-Pool-TriStar/product-reviews/B076P93CVF/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_paging_btm_1?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=1#R2RK86ATLDVENE


1.0 out of 5 stars Had the pump installed by a professional pool company to ...
ByMRREon May 31, 2018
Style: Safety Vacuum Release System|Size: 2.7 HP
Had the pump installed by a professional pool company to extend warranty. In less than one year the control board went out which was quickly replaced by Hayward. Now, 2 months out of warranty the motor shorts out. Out over $1000 for a pump that should have lasted much longer. I would suggest staying away from Hayward products. I am looking to move to a different brand.


1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely disappointed in this pump
ByBuster2on May 28, 2018
Style: Regular|Size: 2.7 HP
Extremely disappointed in this pump. In addition to being loud at speeds over 1500rpm it didn’t last 4years before a major and expensive breakdown. The circuitry that’s required to make it a variable speed failed. This is a large and expensive component. Purchased my pump in April 2014. There is video online for repairing the circuit board, the part you need to replace cost under $10.00, however you need to be experienced with soldering. I purchased a pentair VS pump to replace the Hayward. Much quieter and hopefully better made. I intend to try fixing the control board as I’ve nothing to lose, and keep the Hayward as a backup.

1.0 out of 5 stars BUYER BEWARE HAYWARD PUMPS DON'T LAST
ByErik T. Hordon April 18, 2018
Style: Regular|Size: 2.7 HP
Absolute junk. Probably one of the worst purchases I've ever made. Had a Hayward energystar variable speed pool pump installed less than 4 years ago by a professional pool company. Good news and bad news. The good news is that Hayward knows it's a piece of junk and so they'll extend your warranty from 1 year to 3 years. The bad news is that it will fail after two years so the first replacement motor is on them but the second one at 4 years is on you. Bottomline is your per year cost is going to be $300 to $400 per year because you, like me, will be buying another pump in 4 years. Emailed Hayward and they told me I was SOL and on my own. I called another pool company today and without even telling them the brand the guy said, "you have a Hayward don't you?". That's how bad these are, pro's now know that they're junk and that they WILL 100% FAIL EVERY TWO YEARS LIKE CLOCKWORK. I'll never own another piece of Hayward equipment after this experience, bad customer support, bad products. Do yourself a favor and stay away. I wish I'd been warned so hopefully I can save someone else from an expensive bad experience. Trust me when I say that no amount of energy savings can make up for buying a new pump every four years.


3.0 out of 5 stars Well.... im still waiting.. ...
Bycorybabyon March 30, 2018
Style: Regular|Size: 1.85 HP|Verified Purchase
Well.... im still waiting.....the first pump i got had a broken connection right on the power terminal, which of course i didnt see until ALL the plumbing connections were complete
Before that My first Hayward was the ECOSTAR....look it up you, will see EVERY SINGLE ONE dies at around 3-4 years, right after the warranty expires....for 900$ they should last longer,....No?

Im only going with Hayward again because the plumbing connection is already established and may be a PIA to redo another height, hopefully i wasnt making a big mistake
 

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Salty, it was a replacement for a perfectly working 1-1/2hp single speed pump. I replaced it to be more energy efficient, and I wanted to have the flexibility to run different times and speeds.

It was installed last November as well as a new cartridge filter. It’s the 900 series line.
I also built a cover for my equipment pad to protect all the gear from the punishing Arizona sun.
Simple pvc frame and solar screen.
 

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JamesW said:
The link says Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Hayward doesn't sell directly to consumers.

The link is to the regular Tristar, not the expert line.
Click to expand...

James, with all due respect. If you look in the top left hand corner of the link, the pump comes directly from Hayward, as Hayward sells them through Amazon. Yes Amazon stocks them, but where do you think they got the stock from? ;)
Also, it is the expert line, as here is the spec sheet directly from Hayward.
https://hayward-pool-assets.com/ass...ture/TriStarVS-900-SpecSheet.pdf?fromCDN=true
 
Rob,

If you look at the spec sheet you set-up as a link, it states "Not Sold on-line". Yes, it's a Hayward Pump and Amazon gets them from Hayward, but it's not the expert line, it's the normal tristar. If Hayward sold this directly to you for that price, they would be breaking every dealer channel agreement they have.

The "expert" line can only by purchased via a pool dealer to get the 4 yr warranty and seal upgrade...that's the only 2 things you get...you got a 3 yr warranty bc it's not the expert line, which to me means nothing anyway..to replace a seal is nothing. you also have reduced your UV on your pump too.

Bottomline, you got a good deal and had paid the premium for install, so if the 1.85HP lasts a long time, you should be happy; the 2.7HP don't seem to have the same luck
 
JamesW said:
The link is not the 900 line and it is not sold by Hayward.
Click to expand...

Look at the model# of the pump on Amazon and the spec sheet. Are they not the same?
Notice the 900 at the top of the spec sheet?
Notice the “Expert line” on the top right of the spec sheet. Followed by the “not sold online”. :rolleyes:
See the blue Hayward at the top left on Amazon? If you look at any products on Amazon, they tell you where they got the product from in the top left hand corner of every piece.
 

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The reference from Hayward is incorrect information. They made a mistake.

See the link in my previous post.

Also, Amazon is the retailer. Hayward does not sell retail to consumers.

If you click on the Hayward link, it just takes you to Hayward products. It does not take you to a Hayward page like it would do for a retailer selling through Amazon.
 
tstex said:
Rob,

If you look at the spec sheet you set-up as a link, it states "Not Sold on-line". Yes, it's a Hayward Pump and Amazon gets them from Hayward, but it's not the expert line, it's the normal tristar. If Hayward sold this directly to you for that price, they would be breaking every dealer channel agreement they have.

The "expert" line can only by purchased via a pool dealer to get the 4 yr warranty and seal upgrade...that's the only 2 things you get...you got a 3 yr warranty bc it's not the expert line, which to me means nothing anyway..to replace a seal is nothing. you also have reduced your UV on your pump too.

Bottomline, you got a good deal and had paid the premium for install, so if the 1.85HP lasts a long time, you should be happy; the 2.7HP don't seem to have the same luck
Click to expand...


Tex, I agree with them breaking the dealer code, which is why I was right there when one pool company was on the phone with them chewing them out.
Maybe you’re right about the small upgrades you get from the dealer, dunno. I do know that the spec sheet I posted is the 900 line, and the expert line, as the TriStar 3202vsp is what I bought, and what the spec sheet is for.
 
JamesW said:
The reference from Hayward is incorrect information. They made a mistake.

See the link in my previous post.

Also, Amazon is the retailer. Hayward does not sell retail to consumers.

If you click on the Hayward link, it just takes you to Hayward products. It does not take you to a Hayward page like it would do for a retailer selling through Amazon.
Click to expand...

James I get what you’re saying, but the bottom line is the 3202 I purchased was registered with Hayward, came with a 3 year warranty. The 900 series is a 3 year, and the 950 is 4 years.
The link you posted for my pump falls under a 1 year warranty, if it was supposed to be only a year, then as soon as the serial number was entered, it would have kicked back a 1 year warranty.
So I would assume, that the screw up is on the link for the spec sheet you posted. Either way, there is some discrepancies in the literature.
 
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